Distribution, Severity and Mortality of COVID-19 in Relation to Blood Group and Rh Factor
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2026.12134Keywords:
COVID-19, ABO blood group system, RhAbstract
BACKGROUND: During the Covid-19 pandemic, a number of investigators reported that in patients with different blood groups the virus had a disparate influence regarding the severity and the outcome of the infection.
AIM: The goal of our study was to determine if there is an association between blood groups and Rh factor regarding the severity and mortality from COVID-19 in our analyzed patient population.
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study of 250 patients with COVID-19 disease, treated as ambulatory or hospitalized patients in several health facilities during a time period of one year, from November 2020 till November 2021.
RESULTS: The majority of patients in our cohort were confirmed to have blood group A - 115 (46%), followed by blood group O - 67 (26.8%) patients, 45 (18%) patients were with blood group B, and 23 (9.2%) patients were with blood group AB. The data generated from our analysis revealed a higher than standard prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections among individuals with blood group A. Also, the analysis shows that patients with blood group A experience a more severe clinical course of the disease, as well as higher mortality, compared to patients with other blood groups. There is a substantial difference between Rh positive and Rh negative patients in terms of the severity of the disease. Rh positive patients more frequently experience a severe clinical course, confirmed by statistical significance, but the Rh factor does not affect the outcome of the infection.
CONCLUSIONS: The results from our analysis showed that patients with blood group A manifest a more severe clinical course of the disease and a higher mortality rate compared to patients with other blood groups, but statistical significance between them could not be documented.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Gazmend Amzai, Milena Srbinoska-Bogatinoska, Oliver Karanfilski, Glorija Stefanoska-Tosheska, Tatjana Kjosevska, Eleonora Grozdanova, Argjent Muca, Tatjana Proseva, Lidija Poposka, Marija Dimzova (Author)
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